Alumni Sandstorm ~ 05/03/15
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1 Bomber today: 
Maren SMYTH ('63 & '64)
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BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Kathy ELY ('62)

BOMBER CALENDAR: Richland Bombers Calendar
    Click the event you want to know more about.
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>>From: Maren SMYTH ('63 & '64)

This entry is in today's Sandstorm because there were no other
entries today. It's a bit early, but wanted everybody to know
what's happening... or what's gonna happen maybe before the end
of May.

Re: Cataracts - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataract

Cataracts are behind the cornea. My cataracts need to be
removed "soon" according to my M.D. opthamologist.. Many of you
know somebody (or maybe even yourself) who has had cataract(s)
removed and the surgery is a breeze.

Here's my specific problem:

I also have keratoconus - first diagnosed in about 1975 or so.
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratoconus

Keratoconus is at the very FRONT of the eye.. in the 5th
corneal layer... Until my corneal transplant, I didn't even
know the cornea has five layers.

LEFT EYE ~ Cataract is the smaller of the two cataracts.
Cataract surgery COULD touch the keratoconus and cause need for
a corneal transplant.

RIGHT EYE ~ this is the eye I use "all the time" and "see"
everything with... 1985 corneal transplant for keratoconus -
done at U-dub. Cataract is the larger of the two. Cataract
surgery COULD cause a problem with the 30-year-old transplant
graft... but MAYBE not... Graft still "looks GREAT" according
to my M.D. opthamologist.

My M.D. opthamologist wants me to see a corneal transplant
specialist about cataract removal and I have an appointment on
May 21st... I'm making a list of questions for the specialist.

  I. What's the recovery time for each eye..
     a. ..IF everything is simple and goes well?
     b. ..IF I need a transplant?
 II. Which eye is first? and why?
     a. If they want to remove the right (larger)
        cataract first, how will I see?
     b. If they remove the left cataract first, will 
        I still be able to use the right eye to see 
        while the left eye is healing??
III. How long will it take to get new contact lenses?
 IV. Will there be hospital time? How much?

I'll let everybody know the answers... maybe there won't be any
down time for the Sandstorm at all... trying to think of all
posibilities and remain optomistic at the same time.

-Maren SMYTH ('63 & '64) ~ Gretna, LA ~ 70° at midnight
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That's it for today. Please send more.
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